Can You Drink Kombucha When Pregnant?

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Can you drink kombucha when pregnant? If you are an expecting mom looking for an answer, reading the following post will help. Consumption of kombucha during pregnancy has been a semi-controversial topic. The increasing interest in kombucha has made it an ideal specimen for extensive research. Kombucha is a fermented beverage with tea, sugar, bacteria, and yeast. It is widely available in the market under various brand names and also can be made at home. Through fermentation, it acquires a cocktail of good bacteria and yeast, which is reported to aid overall good health (1). Read further and learn more about its benefits and safety during pregnancy.

Can You Drink Kombucha When Pregnant?

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Using kombucha during pregnancy is generally not recommended as it contains alcohol and caffeine, which may adversely affect your prenatal health. Also, kombucha prepared in unclean surroundings may be a breeding ground for pathogenic microorganisms, such as Aspergillus (2). Alcohol consumption during pregnancy, even in minute quantities, can adversely affect the fetus’s health. It is associated with brain development and facial structure issues (3).

Does Kombucha Have Any Side Effects On Pregnant Women?

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Over the past few years, there have been cases where adverse effects of kombucha consumption have been observed. Some of the side effects are listed below:

1. Hepatic dysfunction: A study reports that kombucha consumption was shown to cause liver damage and renal failure (4).

2. Metabolic acidosisⁱXAccumulation of acid in the body due to kidney failure : Kombucha consumption has been linked to lactic acidosis, where the lactate content in the body is elevated (5).

3. Anthrax infections: Anthrax Bacillus has been found in kombucha tea fermented in unclean conditions. Consumption of such beverages may cause side effects to the mother and fetus (6).

4. Gastrointestinal problems: People with gastric sensitivity showed allergic reactions to kombucha. Other side effects of kombucha on digestive health that have been reported include jaundice, nausea, vomiting, and headache (7).

5. Toxicity: Regular use of kombucha brewed in ceramic containers has caused severe lead toxicity (8).

6. Caffeine overdose: Depending on the tea, the caffeine content in kombucha can vary. Excessive caffeine consumption can cause adverse effects in pregnancy as it passes the placental barriers (9). Keeping an account of all the caffeine-containing products consumed daily can help prevent exceeding the recommended daily dosage.

7. Alcohol overdose: Kombucha is a fermented product that contains alcohol, which you should not consider during pregnancy (10). As per federal law,  commercially available kombucha should be labeled alcoholic if the alcohol content is more than 0.5% by volume (11). According to an FDA investigation, the alcohol content in kombucha may range from 0.7 to 1.3% (2).

What Are The General Benefits Of Kombucha?

Kombucha is one of the natural remedies believed to potentially treat health conditions such as cancer, liver disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, hypertension, and acne. There is a dearth of scientific evidence backing these claims. Most studies conducted are on animal models, and the effect on the human body is unknown. Possible health benefits of kombucha are listed below:

1. Anti-carcinogenic: A study showed that kombucha could assist in boosting anti-cancer properties when combined with chemotherapy in colorectal cancer (12) (13).

2. Antioxidant: It was noticed that biodegradation during fermentation released smaller molecules with higher antioxidant potential. An increase in antioxidant potential with a higher time of kombucha fermentation was observed (14). Heat-treated kombucha fermented tea showed decreased antioxidant activities (15).These antioxidants may support the immune system and improve certain immune responses.

3. Anti-diabetic: The anti-diabetic potential of snake fruit kombucha was studied in diabetic rats. Rats administered with kombucha showed a decreased fasting plasma glucose content compared to the control group (16). Kombucha, through microbiota intervention, has demonstrated hypoglycemicⁱXA condition characterized by low levels of sugar in the blood mechanisms and may be used for the treatment of diabetes (17) (18).

4. Anti-inflammatory: Kombucha was administered to sepsis-inducedⁱXInduced by a severe reaction of the body to an infection mice, and anti-inflammatory compounds were produced through gut microbiota. Hence, kombucha may be used for treating sepsis-associated systemic inflammation (19).

5. HypocholesterolemicⁱXA condition in which total cholesterol (TC) level and low-density cholesterol (LDL) are extremely low : Traditional kombucha tea and modified kombucha tea have shown the potential to reduce cholesterol and may be used for treating obesity (20). In another study, administering butterfly pea flower kombucha to mice on a high-fat diet has shown the potential to decrease metabolic disorders (21).

6. Antimicrobial: A study was conducted to investigate the antimicrobial properties of kombucha against different pathogens. Kombucha demonstrated an inhibitory effect against several pathogenic microorganisms (22). Another study showed the antibacterial and antifungal potential of green and black kombucha tea fermented using a traditional kombucha culture (23).

Research finds

Studies on animals show that kombucha consumption may protect the liver and reduce gastric issues (24) (25).

How To Include Kombucha In Your Diet?

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Kombucha is prepared by adding a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeasts (SCOBY) into sweet tea. It is then allowed to ferment for a few days (26). Commercially available kombucha may be consumed directly from the bottle or mixed with other foods, such as salad dressing. Follow the instructions given on the product packaging before using it.

Quick fact

If the kombucha is left to ferment for more than ten days, it starts tasting like vinegar (27).

What Precautions Should You Take When Using Kombucha During Pregnancy?

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• Store in glass containers

If the kombucha is prepared at home, use glass containers to prepare and store the tea, as it would help prevent leakage of toxic elements into the beverage.

• Use sterilized utensils

Using clean and sterilized utensils may help prevent contamination.

• Ensure high-quality product

Since kombucha comes under probiotics, its production is not regulated. However, take care when selecting a commercially available brand.

What Are Some Safe And Healthy Kombucha Alternatives For Pregnant Women?

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There are several probiotic-rich pregnancy-safe alternatives to kombucha. Yogurt, pickles, kefir, sauerkraut, miso, kimchi, tempeh, and sourdough bread are healthy alternatives you can prefer during pregnancy (28).

Frequently Asked Questions

Infographics: Safe And Healthy Kombucha Alternatives For Pregnant Women

Even though kombucha cannot be an ideal supplement and source of good bacteria, there are other sources from which you may derive your daily dose of probiotics and nutrients. Look at the infographic below to know the foods you can use as an alternative to kombucha.

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team

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Hannah WhittakerRD

Hannah is a pregnancy and pediatric dietitian with seven years of experience. She specializes in milk allergy and vegan pregnancy. She has been working with women and children for nearly 20 years, the last seven years as a registered dietitian. She manages her private practice bump2baby in the UK but has clients globally.  Hannah did her bachelors and PG diploma...more

Shinta Liz SunnyM.Tech

Shinta is a biotechnologist who is highly intrigued by science and technology. She holds a master's degree in Biotechnology from Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences and a PG Diploma in cellular and molecular diagnostics from Manipal University. At MomJunction, Shinta writes on mother and child health and wellness. Previously, she worked as a scientist for three years, involved in developing...more

Swati PatwalM.Sc. (Food & Nutrition), MBA

Swati Patwal is a clinical nutritionist, a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) and a toddler mom with more than a decade of experience in diverse fields of nutrition. She started her career as a CSR project coordinator for a healthy eating and active lifestyle project catering to school children. Then she worked as a nutrition faculty and clinical nutrition coach in...more

Lorraine TeronMSc

Lorraine is a postgraduate in Life Science from Mount Carmel College and previously worked as a freelance scientific illustrator. As a project associate and lab technician at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Lorraine received valuable insights into Covid-19, transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, and neuro-degenerative diseases. In addition to being a science enthusiast, she has been an active writer since childhood. Lorraine has...more